OSCE may fail to agree on 2027 chairmanship — Russian envoy

Detailed summary

Some countries are engaged in nonstop shuttle diplomacy in search of a solution, Dmitry Polyansky said

VIENNA, November 14. /TASS/. Member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are actively holding diplomatic consultations on which country will chair the organization in 2027, but they may fail to reach consensus, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE Dmitry Polyansky told TASS.

"I expect we’ll find some way forward. But we can’t rule out that possibility entirely," he said when asked whether the talks could end without an agreement. In that event, OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu would most likely oversee the organization’s work for a time, though that would require further decisions. "The OSCE is a fairly resilient organization, so I think it will find a way forward even in that scenario," the diplomat noted.

"Some countries are engaged in nonstop shuttle diplomacy in search of a solution. The Americans are particularly active," Polyansky added.

The envoy doubted that the issue would be fully resolved before the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Lugano in early December. He suggested that participants could reach some understandings at the meeting and formalize them later.

Polyansky previously said Cyprus and Georgia are seeking the 2027 OSCE chairmanship. According to him, Turkey is blocking Cyprus’s bid while Georgia’s prospects are highly uncertain.

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